PREPARING YOUR QUILT FOR MACHINE QUILTING:

Whether you're going to do the quilting yourself or you're leaving your masterpiece with us to finish, there are a few special things to consider.  Here are some quick, simple notes everyone should know when preparing a quilt for longarm quilting.

  • Press Seams - Ensure your seams are flat, avoiding folds & bulges.  Remember to press your quilt from the top too!  Once you've pressed it, fold it neatly to keep it nice and crisp.
  • Stay Stitch Quilt Edge - If your quilt has seams around the outer edges, baste through these seams about 1/8th of an inch in from the edge to secure any seams on the outer edge.
  • Trim Threads - Remove any stray threads from the quilt top (front & back).  Inspect the quilt seams for any holes and repair if necessary.If the quilt top has a light fabric that might easily show loose threads from the underside, clip those threads. No one wants to see a red thread underneath a nicely quilted area on the quilt top.
    Some fabrics seem to fray a lot. If you find this is the case, a small dot of Fray Check will help curb those unruly threads!
  • Prepare Quilt Back - The quilt backing should be 4-6" larger than the quilt top on all sides.  Add 8-12" to the width and length of your quilt top.  A quilt top that is 50" x 60" requires a quilt back that is at least 58" x 68".  If the quilt back has seams, trim selvages off and press the seams open.  
  • Square it up! - Using a rotary cutter and long ruler, ensure your quilt top and back are squared and even on all four sides.
  • Batting - A variety of batting choices are available.  To ensure the best results, batting must be 4" larger than the quilt top on all sides.  We recommend 100% cotton, 80/20 cotton/poly blend, bamboo, wool or wool blend.  For best results, we do not recommend 100% polyester.